Meet Janet Park | Vintage Store Owner & Curator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Janet Park and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Janet, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I had grown up with an interest in fashion, but didn’t know how to incorporate it into career path. Over time, I discovered thrifting and I started shopping regularly at thrift shops. I was always so excited to find unique items there, and enjoyed the the thrill of the “hunt” for the perfect piece.

Later on, I realized many were selling secondhand and vintage apparel online- something I hadn’t considered before. Meanwhile, I had been working at a job without much creative opportunities, and as an artistic person, I needed an outlet. As a result, I opened my online shop in June of 2022, and haven’t looked back since!

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Primarie Studios is a vintage store based out of Los Angeles, California. Founded in June of 2022, every item is personally curated, cleaned, and mended by me!

While I primarily focus on vintage and secondhand apparel, I have also dabbled in creating small collections of items that I create out of secondhand materials, which ranges from reworked clothing items to bags made out of pillowcases. I’m still learning to flex my sewing skills, but designing products by hand has been a fun creative experience.

I’ve been taking an un-hurried approach to expanding my business- I see what works, see what doesn’t and adjust from there. The heart of a business is change, and learning how to adjust to that has been both fun and challenging. One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is to curate products that I can be proud of, and to give to my customers what I would want myself. I source items I love, while also being mindful of my customer’s needs, which is why I primarily focus on everyday, wearable vintage.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
In the morning I would take them to a local flea market- a few favorites of mine are Come Together Market in Redondo Beach, Los Feliz Flea in Los Angeles, and Frogtown Flea Crawl also in Los Angeles), then stop by a few gift shops. I personally love the curation at High Low Gift Shop and Homesick Studio in Torrance!

Somewhere in between, I’d take them to a boba shop-I personally love Yi Fang for their fruit tea, and Mellow Tea Studio. I’m always a sucker for ramen, so I’d end the day with dinner at Rakkan Ramen!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
While I run my shop on my own, I couldn’t have done it without the support of my family and friends! My parents always provide sound business advice, whether I’m figuring out how to best serve a customer, where to take risks, and where I should hold back.

Not only that, my family and friends are always present when I vend at local markets, whether it’s watching my booth so I can get some food, setting up (a laborious task!), or simply hanging out with me.

I’m eternally grateful for the ways the people in my life have been so supportive, and have encouraged me in meaningful ways!

Website: https://primariestudios.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/primariestudios/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@primariestudios